Battery parts having solventless acid barriers and associated systems and methods

ABSTRACT

Battery parts, such as battery terminals, and associated systems and methods for making the same are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a battery part includes a body having a base portion and a lug portion extending from the base portion. The battery part can further include a light-curable sealing material at least partially covering an exterior surface of the base portion. The sealing material is configured to seal an interface between the battery part and the material of a battery container when the base portion is embedded in the battery container material.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No.62/776,977, titled “BATTERY PARTS HAVING SOLVENTLESS ACID BARRIERS ANDASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS,” and filed Dec. 7, 2018, which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The following disclosure relates generally to battery parts and, moreparticularly, to battery terminals, battery terminal bushings, and thelike having solventless acid barriers.

BACKGROUND

Battery terminals are typically cold formed or die cast from lead orlead alloys. In a conventional battery, the terminals protrude from acasing or container which carries an electrolyte, such as sulfuric acid.The container is typically formed from a moldable thermoplastic resin,such as polypropylene. During manufacture of the container, the resinflows around the base of the terminals so that the resin will secure theterminals in place once it hardens. After a terminal has been secured, alead anode can be inserted into a central hole in the terminal andmelted to fill the hole and form a mechanical and electrical connectionto a battery grid positioned within the container.

The different coefficients of thermal expansion between the batterycontainer and the lead terminals can cause these materials to separateat their interface as a result of thermal cycling. The battery terminalsmay also become loose in the container wall if subjected to repeated orexcessive twisting or torsional loads. These factors can cause smallcracks to form between the terminals and the container wall, andelectrolyte can readily pass through these cracks due to the low surfacetension of electrolytes. Accordingly, it can be important to establish agood seal between the lead terminals and the container to avoidmigration of the electrolyte (e.g., sulfuric acid) out of the batterycontainer and/or ingress of gases (e.g., oxygen) into the batterycontainer.

Typically, a sealant such as polyisobutylene is provided between thelead terminals and the battery container to seal the interfacetherebetween. However, conventional sealants must be dissolved in asolvent (to form, e.g., a solution including polyisobutylene) beforebeing applied to the battery terminals. The commercial solvents that arecapable of dissolving such sealants include hydrocarbon-based orchlorinated solvents. Such solvents, however, are intrinsically toxic,extremely flammable, air pollutants, and/or volatile organic compounds.For example, trichloroethylene (TCE) is commonly used to dissolvesealants including polyisobutylene, yet TCE is classified as a hazardousair pollutant (HAP) compound in the United States, and the use of TCE isseverely restricted and being phased out in the European Union andChina.

As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,967, D-limonene—a naturallyoccurring product extracted from citrus fruit peels—has been proposed asa substitute for TCE. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,967 is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.) However, the flammability and slowevaporation of D-limonene has greatly limited its commercialapplicability.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present technology can be better understood withreference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings arenot necessarily to scale. Instead, emphasis is placed on clearlyillustrating the principles of the present technology.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a battery part at least partially coated with asealant configured in accordance with an embodiment of the presenttechnology.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a battery assembly including the battery partof FIG. 1 configured in accordance with an embodiment of the presenttechnology.

FIG. 3 is a partially schematic top-view of a battery part sealantapplication system configured in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent technology.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following disclosure describes various embodiments of battery parts,such as battery terminals, bushings, and the like that are at leastpartially coated with sealant, and associated assemblies and methods ofmanufacture and use. In some embodiments, a battery part configured inaccordance with the present disclosure includes a body having a baseportion that is configured to be embedded in battery container materialwhen the battery container is formed. The base portion can have asealant applied to an external surface thereof. The sealant isconfigured to provide a seal or barrier between the battery containermaterial and the battery part. As described in greater detail below, insome embodiments, the sealant is a non-toxic, light-curable resin. Asdiscussed above, many existing sealants require the use of solvents thatare hazardous to humans and/or the environment. In contrast, the batteryparts of the present technology do not require the use of hazardoussolvents while still effectively sealing the interface between thebattery parts and the battery container material in which they areembedded.

Certain details are set forth in the following description and in FIGS.1-3 to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of thedisclosure. Other details describing well-known structures and systemsoften associated with battery parts (e.g., lead and/or lead alloybattery parts, moldable battery containers, etc.), and methods forforming such parts (e.g., forming, casting, injection molding, etc.), aswell as other battery parts and assemblies, are not set forth in thefollowing disclosure to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description ofthe various embodiments of the present technology. Moreover, many of thedetails and features shown in the Figures are merely illustrative ofparticular embodiments of the present technology. Accordingly, otherembodiments can have other details and features without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the present technology. In addition, the variouselements and features illustrated in the Figures may not be drawn toscale. Furthermore, various embodiments of the present technology caninclude structures other than those illustrated in the Figures and areexpressly not limited to the structures shown in the Figures.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a battery part 100 configured in accordancewith an embodiment of the present technology. In the illustratedembodiment, the battery part 100 comprises a battery terminal orterminal bushing. The battery part 100 can be formed from lead, leadalloy, and/or other suitable materials by forming (e.g., cold-forming,cold-forming with a segmented mold, hot-forming, roll-forming, stamping,etc.), casting (e.g., die casting), forging, machining, and/or othersuitable methods known in the art. In the illustrated embodiment, thebattery part 100 includes a body having a projecting portion or lugportion 102 that extends from a base portion 104. The lug portion 104can be any portion of the battery part 100 configured to be connected toan external electrical connector such as, for example, a post, a flange,a projection including one or more holes, etc. The battery part 100 canalso include a passage or through-hole 105 extending through the batterypart 100 from a first end portion 101 to a second end portion 103 of thebattery part 100. In the illustrated embodiment, the battery part 100 isgenerally cylindrical and rotatably symmetric, and the through-hole 105is aligned with a longitudinal axis L of the battery part 100. In otherembodiments, the battery part 100 can have other (e.g., asymmetric)shapes.

In some embodiments, the battery part 100 can include a circumferentialflange 106 at an approximate midpoint of the battery part 100 betweenthe lug portion 102 and the base portion 104. In the illustratedembodiment, the flange 106 projects radially outward beyond the baseportion 104 and extends circumferentially around the battery part 100.In some embodiments, the flange 106 can have a generally circular shapewhile, in other embodiments, the flange 106 can have a polygonal orother shape. In the illustrated embodiment, the flange 106 includes aplurality of recesses or grooves 107 extending at least partiallythrough the flange 106. In some embodiments, the grooves 107 can have anupside down U-shaped configuration in which the grooves open in adirection away from the lug portion 102 and toward the base portion 104.In other embodiments, the grooves 107 can be omitted, or the flange 106can have a different arrangement of grooves. For example, the flange 106can include a different number of grooves and/or the grooves can open ina direction toward the lug portion 102. In some embodiments, the flange106 is configured to engage or otherwise grip battery container material(shown in FIG. 2) that is molded around the flange 106 to inhibit thebattery part 100 from twisting or otherwise moving in the batterycontainer.

An exterior surface (e.g., an outward-facing surface) (e.g., in adirection away from the through-hole 105), and a plurality of recessedportions or grooves 112 formed therebetween.

In the illustrated embodiment, the base portion 104 includes a pluralityof circumferential acid rings or sealing portions 110 that extendgenerally radially outward/away from the longitudinal axis L of thebattery part 100, and a plurality of recessed portions or grooves 112formed therebetween. The battery part 100 can include more or fewer thantwo sealing portions 110 in other embodiments. In the illustratedembodiment, the sealing portions 110 have a generally rectangularcross-sectional shape. In other embodiments, the sealing portions 110can have a generally round, circular, or other cross-sectional shape orprofile, and/or the sealing portions 110 can have different shapes fromone another. As described in detail below, a battery container (shown inFIG. 2) can be formed around the sealing portions 110. The profile ofthe sealing portions 110 forms a labyrinth or tortuous path thatinhibits fluids from leaking from the battery container between thebattery part 100 and the container during formation and in use.

The battery part 100 is provided by way of example only, and as those ofordinary skill in the art will appreciate, in other embodiments, batteryparts configured in accordance with the present disclosure can haveother suitable configurations and shapes including, for example, more orfewer flanges (e.g., torque flanges) and/or more fewer sealing portionshaving other shapes, arrangements, etc. For example, the battery part100 can include one or more features that are generally similar to thefeatures of the battery parts disclosed in (i) U.S. Pat. No. 9,190,654,titled “BATTERY PARTS AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS,” filed Mar.25, 2014; (ii) U.S. Pat. No. 9,935,306, titled “BATTERY PARTS HAVINGRETAINING AND SEALING FEATURES AND ASSOCIATED METHODS OF MANUFACTURE ANDUSE,” filed Jul. 7, 2014; and/or (iii) U.S. Pat. No. 9,748,551, titled“BATTERY PARTS HAVING RETAINING AND SEALING FEATURES AND ASSOCIATEDMETHODS OF MANUFACTURE AND USE,” filed Jun. 29, 2012, each of which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In another aspect of the illustrated embodiment, the battery part 100includes a coating or sealant 114 that is formed over at least a portionof an exterior surface (e.g., an outward-facing surface) of the baseportion 104. In some embodiments, the sealant 114 has a generallyuniform thickness of from about 1 mm to about 2 mm (e.g., from 1.5 mm toabout 2 mm). In other embodiments, the sealant 114 can have a differentor varying thickness. As described in detail below with reference toFIG. 2, the sealant 114 is configured to provide a seal or barrier atthe interface between the battery part 100 and battery containermaterial to inhibit fluids and gases from moving into or out off thebattery container between the battery part 100 and the container duringformation and in use.

The sealant 114 can be a solventless compound that is resistant tocorrosion by electrolytes (e.g., sulfuric acid) or other battery fluids.That is, the sealant 114 can be applied to the battery part 100 andcured without the use of (e.g., evaporation of) a solvent, such astrichloroethylene (TCE). In some embodiments, for example, the sealant114 is a light-curable material such as a resin or organic compound.More particularly, the sealant 114 can be a light-curable resin thatincludes acrylated urethanes (e.g., a light-curable acrylated urethaneresin). In some embodiments, the sealant 114 is curable via exposure tobroad spectrum ultraviolet (UV) light, narrow spectrum UV light (e.g.,LED light), visible light, and/or light having other suitablewavelengths. In certain embodiments, the sealant 114 can be alight-curable maskant or masking resin manufactured by DymaxCorporation, of Torrington, Conn., such as the light-curable maskantsmanufactured under the trademark “SpeedMask.” In some embodiments, thesealant 114 (identified as “Cured Material” in the chemical equationbelow) can be formed and cured according to the following chemicalequation:

Notably, because the sealant 114 need not be dissolved in a solventbefore application, the sealant 114 can be non-toxic, non-flammable, andcan have no negative or environmental impacts.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a battery assembly 220including the battery part 100 of FIG. 1 attached to a battery casing orcontainer 222 in accordance with an embodiment of the presenttechnology. In the illustrated embodiment, the battery assembly 220 isattached to the battery container 222 so that the lug portion 102 isexposed and accessible. The battery container 222 and the sealant 114 ofthe battery part 100 are shown in cross-section in FIG. 2 for the sakeof clarity. The battery container 222 can be formed from a moldablematerial 224, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, other plastics,thermoplastic resins, and/or other suitable materials known in the art.During manufacture of the battery assembly 220, the material 224 can beflowed in a molten form into a mold (not shown) supporting the baseportion 104 of the battery part 100 so that the sealing portions 110 areembedded within the material 224. The shape of the sealing portions 110form a labyrinth or tortuous path that prevents or at least inhibitsfluids (e.g., electrolyte, acid, water, etc.) from escaping the batterycontainer 222. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the material 224can also be flowed around the flange 106 so that the flange 106 is atleast partially embedded in the material 224. The battery assembly 220can also include a lead anode or conductor 226 that is mechanically andelectrically connected to the battery part 100. More specifically, theconductor 226 fills the through-hole 105 and can be connected to abattery grid (not shown) positioned within the battery container 222, asis known in the art.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 together, the sealant 114 is configured toseal the interface between the battery container 222 and the batterypart 100 to inhibit an electrolyte (e.g., sulfuric acid) from leakingfrom the battery container 222 and to inhibit the ingress of oxygen, orother gases into the battery container 222, which can diminish thecapacity of the battery. In particular, the sealant 114 is configured toseal the interface even as the battery part 100 and the material 224tend to pull away from each other, for example, as a result of thediffering coefficients of thermal expansion of these components andthermal cycling during use of the battery assembly 220. In someembodiments, the sealant 114 is formed only over the exterior surfacesof the sealing portions 110 and the grooves 112. In other embodiments,the sealant 114 can be formed over all or a different portion of thebase portion 104, the flange 106, and/or other portions of the batterypart 100 that may interface with the material 224 of the batterycontainer 222. For example, the sealant 114 can be formed over theentire exterior surface of the base portion 104 (e.g., over the secondend portion 103, the sealing portions 110, and the grooves 112) and/orthe flange 106 (e.g., including in the grooves 107). As shown, thesealant 114 need not be formed over the exterior surface of the lugportion 102 which projects from the battery container 222 and thereforedoes not interface with the container material 224.

The sealant 114 can be formed on or applied to the battery part 100using a variety of suitable methods. For example, the sealant 114 can besprayed or brushed onto the battery part 100, and/or the battery part100 can be dipped and/or rolled in the sealant 114. Moreover, thesealant 114 can be applied in a single coat or in multiple coats (e.g.,by dipping, rolling, spraying, and/or bushing the sealant 114 onto thebattery part 100 multiple times). In some embodiments, the battery part100 is rotated after or during application of the sealant 114 to achievea desired (e.g., uniform) thickness of the coating of the sealant 114.Accordingly, the sealant 114 can be selected to have a desired viscosityto facilitate application via a chosen method (e.g., dipping, spraying,painting, etc.). After applying the sealant 114 to the battery part 100,the sealant 114 is cured by exposing the sealant 114 to light. Asdescribed above, the sealant 114 can be cured via exposure to narrowspectrum UV light, broad spectrum UV light, visible light, and/or lightof other wavelengths. In some embodiments, the battery part 100 can berotated relative to a suitable light source to cure the sealant 114thereon. In other embodiments, the battery part 100 can be exposed tomultiple light sources, or a light source can be moved relative to thebattery part 100 to facilitate curing without rotation or other movementof the battery part 100. In some embodiments, the sealant 114 isconfigured to cure rapidly from exposure to light of a suitablewavelength. In some embodiments, for example, curing can take betweenabout 1-60 seconds.

In some embodiments, because the sealant 114 is light-curable and can beapplied without evaporating a hazardous solvent, the devices/systems forapplying and curing the sealant 114 need not be positioned within acontrolled air environment (e.g., within a ventilated enclosure). Assuch, the devices/systems for applying and curing the sealant 114 can beplaced nearby to the devices/systems for manufacturing the battery part100. Accordingly, the present technology can reduce the cost,complexity, and/or time required to manufacture a battery part ascompared to, for example, conventional manufacturing techniques thatutilize a solvent (e.g., trichloroethylene) to apply and cure a sealingcompound.

FIG. 3 is a partially schematic top-view of a battery part sealantapplication system 330 (“system 330”) configured in accordance with anembodiment of the present technology. The system 330 can operate toapply and cure the sealant 114 on a plurality of the battery parts 100(identified individually as battery parts 100 a-100 k). In theillustrated embodiment, the system 330 includes a rotatable support orplatform 332 configured to receive a plurality of the battery parts 100via a loading mechanism 334. The loading mechanism 334 can include avibratory hopper and/or accumulator/orientation loading station that isconfigured to receive unfished battery parts 100 and suitablyorient/arrange the battery parts 100 for presentation and mounting onthe rotatable platform 332. In other embodiments, the loading mechanism334 can include a robotic arm or gripper for moving the battery parts100 onto the rotatable platform 332. In other embodiments, the loadingmechanism 334 can be omitted and the unfinished battery parts 100 can bemanually loaded onto the rotatable platform 332.

The rotatable platform 332 can include a plurality of recesses and/orfixtures (not pictured) configured to releasably grasp and secureindividual ones of the battery parts 100 so that the base portion 104 isexposed. In some embodiments, the fixtures can include spindles that arerotatable (e.g., as indicated by the arrow A) to individually rotate thecorresponding ones of the battery parts 100. The rotatable platform 332can be rotated or indexed (e.g., as indicated by the arrow B) to movethe battery parts 100 sequentially through a sealant application station336, a curing station 338, and to an output mechanism 340.

The sealant application station 336 includes a sealant applicator ordispenser 342 for coating (e.g., spraying) the sealant 114 on some orall of the base portion 104 of a corresponding one of the battery parts100 (e.g., the battery part 100 c in FIG. 3) that is positioned at thesealant application station 336. In the illustrated embodiment, thesealant dispenser 342 is a pressurized sprayer having at least one spraynozzle 343 for directing the sealant 114 toward the battery part 100 cthat is positioned at the sealant application station 336. In someembodiments, the nozzle 343 is configured to remain stationary while thebattery part 100 c is rotated (e.g., on a corresponding spindle) at thesealant application station 336. In other embodiments, the sealantdispenser 342 is actuatable in at least one direction (e.g., in the X-,Y-, and Z-planes) such that the nozzle 343 is movable relative to thebattery part 100 to suitably apply the sealant 114 to the battery part100 without rotation or with minimal rotation of the battery part 100.For example, the sealant dispenser 342 can be electromechanicallyactuated to vary the position of the nozzle 343. In some embodiments,the motion of the nozzle 343 can be synchronized with the specificgeometry of the battery part 100 c and/or the rotation speed of thebattery part 100 c can be varied to provide a desired pattern and/orthickness of the coating of the sealant 114. The system 330 can furtherinclude one or more additional sealant dispensers (e.g., a sealantdispenser 344 shown schematically in FIG. 3) that are configured to coatthe battery parts 100 with the sealant 114 (e.g., with another coat ofthe sealant 114) or a different material. Although the sealant dispenser342 is depicted a pressured sprayer in FIG. 3, the sealant dispenser caninclude any suitable structure for applying the sealant 114 to thebattery parts 100. For example, the sealant dispenser 342 can includeone or more brushes, a dipping station, etc.

A light source 346 is positioned at the curing station 338 and isconfigured to irradiate the battery parts 100 to cure the sealant 114thereon. In some embodiments, the light source 346 includes one or moreUV light sources positioned within a tunnel or hood that focuses thelight on the battery parts 100 positioned within the tunnel (e.g., thebattery parts 100 i, j in FIG. 3). The battery parts 100 can be rotatedwhile positioned at the curing station 338 or can remain stationary. Insome embodiments, the battery parts 100 are rotated at lower speed whilepositioned at the curing station 338 than when positioned at the sealantapplication station 336 from the platform 332. The output mechanism 340can include a hopper, bin, chute, conveyer, etc., that is configured toreceive the finished, cured battery parts 100. In some embodiments, theoutput mechanism can further include a robotic arm configured to pickand place the finished battery parts 100—for example, to position thebattery parts 100 on pallets.

Some or all of the operation of the system 330 can be controlled by anautomated system controller. The system controller can include aprocessor (e.g., a programmable logic controller (PLC)) and a memory(e.g., a computer readable media) configured to store computer-readableinstructions. The processor can be configured to execute theinstructions to provide operating instructions and/or commands to thevarious components of the system 330 and/or to receive informationtherefrom as described in detail above.

Several aspects of the present technology are set forth in the followingexamples:

1. A battery part, comprising:

a body having a lug portion extending from a base portion, wherein thebase portion is configured to be a least partially embedded in batterycontainer material; and

a light-curable material applied to at least a portion of an exteriorsurface of the base portion, wherein the light-curable material isconfigured to seal an interface between the battery part and the batterycontainer material when the base portion is embedded in the batterycontainer material.

2. The battery part of example 1 wherein the base portion includes aplurality of sealing portions extending radially outward relative to alongitudinal axis of the battery part, and wherein the light-curablematerial is applied directly to an exterior surface of the sealingportions.

3. The battery part of example 1 or 2 wherein the light-curable materialincludes an acrylated urethane.

4. The battery part of any one of examples 1-3 wherein the light-curablematerial is a masking resin that is curable via exposure to UV light.

5. The battery part of any one of examples 1-4 wherein the light-curablematerial is a solventless compound that is resistant to corrosion byelectrolytes.

6. The battery part of any one of examples 1-5 wherein the light-curablematerial is omitted from an exterior surface of the lug portion.

7. The battery part of any one of examples 1-6 wherein the body furtherincludes a circumferential flange projecting radially outward beyond thebase portion, wherein the flange is configured to be at least partiallyembedded in the battery container material to inhibit the battery partfrom twisting in the battery container material, and wherein thelight-curable material is applied to at least a portion of an exteriorsurface of the flange.

8. A method of manufacturing a battery part including a body having alug portion and a base portion, the method comprising:

applying a sealant to at least a portion of an exterior surface of thebase portion; and

exposing the sealant to light to cure the sealant, wherein the curedsealant is configured to seal an interface between the battery part andbattery container material when the base portion is embedded in thebattery container material.

9. The method of example 8 wherein applying the sealant includesapplying a sealant that has not been dissolved in a solvent prior toapplying the sealant to the base portion.

10. The method of example 8 or 9 wherein applying the sealant includesapplying a masking resin including an arcylated urethane, and whereinexposing the sealant to light includes irradiating the sealant withultraviolet light.

11. The method of any one of examples 8-10, further comprising embeddingthe base portion of the battery part in the battery container material.

12. The method of any one of examples 8-11 wherein the body of thebattery part includes a plurality of sealing portions extending radiallyoutward relative to a longitudinal axis of the battery part, and whereinapplying the sealant includes applying the sealant to an exteriorsurface of the sealing portions.

13. The method of any one of examples 8-12 wherein applying the sealantto the exterior surface of the sealing portions includes applying thesealant to have a generally uniform thickness.

14. The method of any one of examples 8-13, further comprising rotatingthe battery part while applying the sealant and exposing the sealant tolight.

15. A battery part manufacturing system, comprising:

a support configured to receive a battery part;

a sealant applicator configured to coat at least a portion of thebattery part with a sealant; and

a light source configured to irradiate the sealant on the battery partto cure the sealant on the battery part.

16. The battery part manufacturing system of example 15 wherein theplatform is movable to sequentially move the battery part past thesealant applicator and the light source.

17. The battery part manufacturing system of example 15 or 16 whereinthe platform includes a spindle configured to releasably grasp thebattery part, and wherein the spindle is rotatable to rotate the batterypart relative to the sealant applicator and the light source.

18. The battery part manufacturing system of any one examples 15-17wherein the spindle is configured to rotate the battery part at a firstspeed when the battery part is positioned near the sealant applicatorand to rotate the battery part at a second speed, less than the firstspeed, when the battery part is positioned near the light source.

19. The battery part manufacturing system of any one examples 15-18wherein the sealant applicator includes a pressurized sprayer having aspray nozzle for directing the sealant toward the battery part.

20. The battery part manufacturing system of any one examples 15-19wherein the sealant applicator is electromechanically actuatable to varythe position of the spray nozzle relative to the battery part

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodimentshave been described herein for purposes of illustration, but thatvarious modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit andscope of the present technology. For example, in particular embodiments,details of the disclosed battery parts or battery part manufacturingsystems may be different than those shown in the foregoing Figures. Forexample, a battery part manufacturing system may have other suitablearrangements, such as including one or more conveyors for moving thebattery parts through a plurality of stations in addition to oralternatively to including one or more or rotatable platforms. Likewise,a battery part manufacturing system may include only a sealantapplication station or a curing station, or may include additionalstations, such as a conformal coating station, a centrifugal spinstation, etc. Likewise, a light-curable sealant can be applied to thebattery parts of the present technology in a myriad of differentmanners—via rolling, dipping, painting, etc.—in addition to oralternatively to spraying the sealant on the battery parts.

Accordingly, those skilled in the art will recognize that numerousmodifications or alterations can be made to the components or systemsdisclosed herein. Moreover, certain aspects of the present technologydescribed in the context of particular embodiments may be combined oreliminated in other embodiments. Further, while advantages associatedwith certain embodiments have been described in the context of thoseembodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages, and notall embodiments need necessarily exhibit such advantages to fall withinthe scope of the present technology. Accordingly, the inventions are notlimited except as by the appended claims.

We claim:
 1. A battery part, comprising: a body having a lug portionextending from a base portion, wherein the base portion is configured tobe a least partially embedded in battery container material; and alight-curable material applied to at least a portion of an exteriorsurface of the base portion, wherein the light-curable material isconfigured to seal an interface between the battery part and the batterycontainer material when the base portion is embedded in the batterycontainer material.
 2. The battery part of claim 1 wherein the baseportion includes a plurality of sealing portions extending radiallyoutward relative to a longitudinal axis of the battery part, and whereinthe light-curable material is applied directly to an exterior surface ofthe sealing portions.
 3. The battery part of claim 1 wherein thelight-curable material includes an acrylated urethane.
 4. The batterypart of claim 1 wherein the light-curable material is a masking resinthat is curable via exposure to UV light.
 5. The battery part of claim 1wherein the light-curable material is a solventless compound that isresistant to corrosion by electrolytes.
 6. The battery part of claim 1wherein the light-curable material is omitted from an exterior surfaceof the lug portion.
 7. The battery part of claim 1 wherein the bodyfurther includes a circumferential flange projecting radially outwardbeyond the base portion, wherein the flange is configured to be at leastpartially embedded in the battery container material to inhibit thebattery part from twisting in the battery container material, andwherein the light-curable material is applied to at least a portion ofan exterior surface of the flange.
 8. A method of manufacturing abattery part including a body having a lug portion and a base portion,the method comprising: applying a sealant to at least a portion of anexterior surface of the base portion; and exposing the sealant to lightto cure the sealant, wherein the cured sealant is configured to seal aninterface between the battery part and battery container material whenthe base portion is embedded in the battery container material.
 9. Themethod of claim 8 wherein applying the sealant includes applying asealant that has not been dissolved in a solvent prior to applying thesealant to the base portion.
 10. The method of claim 8 wherein applyingthe sealant includes applying a masking resin including an acrylatedurethane, and wherein exposing the sealant to light includes irradiatingthe sealant with ultraviolet light.
 11. The method of claim 8, furthercomprising embedding the base portion of the battery part in the batterycontainer material.
 12. The method of claim 8 wherein the body of thebattery part includes a plurality of sealing portions extending radiallyoutward relative to a longitudinal axis of the battery part, and whereinapplying the sealant includes applying the sealant to an exteriorsurface of the sealing portions.
 13. The method of claim 12 whereinapplying the sealant to the exterior surface of the sealing portionsincludes applying the sealant to have a generally uniform thickness. 14.The method of claim 8, further comprising rotating the battery partwhile applying the sealant and exposing the sealant to light.
 15. Thebattery part of claim 1 wherein the lug portion and the body portion areintegrally formed.
 16. The battery part of claim 1 wherein the lugportion and the body portion are integrally formed from a lead material.17. The battery part of claim 1 wherein the light-curable material has agenerally uniform thickness along the exterior surface of the baseportion.
 18. The battery part of claim 2 wherein the light-curablematerial has a generally uniform thickness along the exterior surface ofthe sealing portions.
 19. The method of claim 8 wherein the battery partis formed from a lead material.
 20. The method of claim 8 whereinapplying the sealant includes applying the sealant to have a generallyuniform thickness.
 21. The method of claim 8 wherein applying thesealant includes applying the sealant before embedding the base portionin the battery container material.
 22. The method of claim 8 whereinexposing the sealant to light includes exposing the sealant to lightbefore embedding the base portion in the battery container material.